Things I Love: Other Bloggers

It’s week three of my #ShareSunday experiment. I had to pick a new #hashtag because #SS is already pretty popular on Twitter, and since I can’t figure out what #SS means (though I’ve concluded it’s not Nazi related, which is a relief), I’ll just write shorter Tweets and go with #ShareSunday.

#ShareSunday is where I applaud other blogs I read, hoping you’ll take a look, and be inspired by them, too. Usually it’s three blogs, but this week, I’m only talking about two.

I’ve heard it said dozens of times, but if you want to be a writer, you have to read. First, read the type of books like you want to write and second, read about other writers. Luckily for the modern writer, most authors have their own blogs where they “brain spill”. That’s what I call what is written between projects and books. Think of a writer like an Olympic athlete. We see them swimming and sprinting every four years. In between those times, we don’t think about them. But trust me, they’re out there, liftings weights, running, waking up early, skipping sweets and candy, hoping to stay in perfect shape for another shot at medaling or being invited to the next Olympics. Writers are like that. In between critically acclaimed best-sellers, they’re up early writing, jotting down ideas, and hoping to get back onto a best-seller list again.

Well, reading Jeff Goin’s blog is like having a training partner. He’s an accomplished writer, and I’m not really his peer, but his blog doesn’t make him sound like he’s dictating his next book to a paige he hired to record and transcribe his every word while he sails around the world. He’s slugging it out, writing daily, little by little, and sharing his advice as he discovers it.

Earlier this week, I wrote something for my wife on her 40th birthday, but I almost didn’t …until I read what Jeff Goins said. He said, “learn to write for yourself.” I’ve always kinda felt this way, but assumed it was a completely self-defeating way to write. It’s like saying, hey, I’m going to write about myself and when I don’t sell any books and nobody reads my blog, I’ll blame the lack of readers on the fact they don’t ‘get’ me.”

Message received, Jeff. Now, I’m not going to start blogging about how long my shower was this morning (3 minutes 14 seconds, by the way), but I’ll write what I think is important, interesting, or funny and see if readers like me for me.

Every blog starts somewhere. Every writing life starts with the discipline of writing, which involves learning to observe life, notice things others maybe don’t realize they’re noticing, and learning to express yourself in an unguarded way. Megan started her blog, I wanna say, 2 or 3 years ago inspired by the passing of a dear friend, and she wrote it like therapy (that’s how I saw it) and it’s grown into so much more. Part journal, part creative writing, part motivation …what it’s grown into is a story of a Millenial in her early 20s navigating life. I think everyone wants to write a blog and immediately have 1,000 readers and be asked to be on a radio show to talk about the book she’s releasing, but it doesn’t happen that way. Instead, it starts with hard work and being there nearly every day with something to say. She writes from the heart. Her struggles, challenges, and triumphs are familiar, I think, to almost everyone. Megan doesn’t hide from the bad and sad moments, doesn’t sugar coat her feelings, and is proud of her faith and her friends. Reading it reminds me that blogging and writing must be done in your voice.

As a blogger, I like to read other blogs. Big, small, funny, deep, meaningful, and some with pictures of cups of coffee. I hope you’ll add these to your blog roll and read them from time to time.

I sometimes Tweet some other blogs, so if you want to know more blogs I’m reading on a daily basis, follow @donkowalewski.